Adjusting means for a slidable inner jaw wrench



March 22, 1960 H. WOLBAUM 2,929,287

ADJUSTING MEANS FOR A SLIDABLE INNER JAW WRENCH Filed March 17, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 1 will. m

Hlllllll FIG.

FIG.

VENTOR. HARRY WOLBAUM March 22, 1960 H. WOLBAUM ADJUSTING MEANS FOR ASLIDABLE INNER JAW WRENCH Filed March 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. HARRY WOLBAUM ADJUSTING MEANS FOR A SLIDABLE INNER JAW WRENCHHarry Wolbaum, Bismarck, N. Dak.

Application March 17, 1958, Serial No. 722,054

2 Claims. (Cl. 81-170) This invention relates to hand tools and moreparticularly to a pipe wrench.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pipe wrench thatcan be Conveniently handled to firmly grip the pipe for rotation ineither direction, and having self contained adjustment means forminutely controlling the spacing between the fixed and movable jaws.

'Another. object of the present invention is to provide a selfsupporting pipe wrench that will retain its grip upon the pipe untilmanually released therefrom by the operator.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a pipewrench of the above type which can be conveniently used in pairs by asingle workman without the danger of having them fall from the pipe whenreleased until the operator effects release thereof through apredetermined manipulation of the parts.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a pipe wrench bearing theabove objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimumnumber of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient inoperation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a pipe wrench made in accordancewith the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a movable jaw forming a part of thepresent invention;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of certain other parts of thepresent invention;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fixed jaw forming a partof the present invention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view of a handlemember forming another part of the present invention;

Figure 6 is an exploded side elevational view of detent means forming apart of the handle construction;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of a cap member forming a part ofthe present invention;

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the cap member shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a shank forminganother part of the present invention; and

Figure 10 is a longitudinal cross-section of the completely assembledwrench showing the internal relationship of the shank to the handle andthe cooperating detent and indent means for rotatively locking thehandle in any selected rotative position with respect to the shank.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a wrench 10 made inaccordance with the present invention is shown to include a shank 12 ofsubstantially rectangular cross sectional configuration having a mainjaw 13 at its lower end with a working surface provided with a pluralityof serrations 14. This shank 12 has a longitudinal slot 16 for purposeshereinafter described.

A movable jaw assembly 18 having a sleeve 19 with a 2,929,287 .2.Patented :Mar.:22, 1923i).

.2 rectangular longitudinal bore 22 is slidably supported upon the shank12 for sliding movement relative to the fixed jaw 13. The head of themovable jawis provided with a transverse bore 24 and a transverse slot25 providing lateral communication therewith. A wedge shaped jaw block26 having an upwardly extendingtrack 29 is provided with a downwardlyfacing serrated surface 27 that cooperates with the upwardly facingserrated surface 14 of the fixed jaw. The track 29 is supportedlyreceived within the bore 24 and slot 25 of the head of the movable jawassembly for sliding movement normal to the shank 12. While thedownwardly facing surface of the head of the movable jaw 18 convergeswith the serrated surface 14 of the fixed jaw, the. downwardly facingserrated sur-- face.27 of the wedge block 26 is substantially paralleltothe serrated surface 14 ofthe fixed jaw. A heavy spring 32 carriedwithin the bore 24 of the movable jaw head normally urges the wedgeblock'26 toward the shank 12, with a lug 30 that is integral with thewedge block directed into frictional sliding engagement with the slotdefining portion 16 of the shank 12. A lighter spring 33 reacts againstthe heavy spring 32 and further serves to direct an inwardly extendingdetent 34 into further frictional engagement within the slot 16. It willthus be recognized that the wedge block is resiliently and slidablycarried by the head of the movable jaw 18 for sliding movement towardand away from the shank 12, movement in an outward direction beingoperative to increase the distance between the facing surfaces 14, 27 ofthe respective jaw members. As a result, when the wrench is inengagement with the pipe, an outward pull of the wrench is operative toeffect a loosening of the grip upon the pipe since the Wedge block 26will ride upon the outwardly diverging surface of the movable jaw head18.

In order to secure the movable jaw 18 and fixed jaw 13 in a selectedspaced apart relationship, a handle 36 having a longitudinal bore 38 isrotatably supported upon the shank 12 and has threads 37 at oneend forthreaded engagement with the threaded section 20 of the movable jawassembly 18. The upper end of the handle 36 is provided with a ring 39that is supported upon the upwardly facing end surface 43 of the shank12 so as to prevent downward movement of the handle relative thereto.Thus, in response to rotation of the handle, the movable jaw 18 willmove vertically upon the shank 12 relative to the fixed jaw 13. Aratchet member 40 is rotatably supported upon the upwardly extendingstud 42 of the shank 12 and has a downwardly opening bore 44 withinwhich a spring 46 and detent 45 are supported. This detent 45 is adaptedto releasably engage with indents 48 on the periphery of the ring 39 soas to releasably resist rotation of the handle 36 upon the shank 12. Acap 50 having an internal bore 51 is threadingly secured to the terminalthreaded stud 52 of the handle, whereby all of the parts are maintainedin proper assembled relationship.

With the parts in the proper assembled position, as shown in Figure 1,the wrench is ready for use in the following manner. By rotating thehandle 36, the movable jaw 18 can be moved to a fixed distance away fromthe fixed jaw 13. With the wrench so secured on the pipe, an inward pushof the pipe will have the effect of tightening the wedge through theaforementioned sliding action, whereby the wrench will be selfsupporting upon the pipe. In order to release the wrench, it is onlynecessary to exert a pull in the opposite direction so as to enable thewedge block 26 to move in an outward direction from the shank 12 toincrease the distance between the serrated surfaces 14, 27, and thusenable the wrench to be removed.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spiritand scope ofthe present invention as defined by. the, appended claims,

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. A wrench comprising, incombination, a mainfixed. jaw, a rectangularshank extending. upwardly from said main jaw, a movable jaw. slidablysupported upon said shank for slidable movement toward and away fromsaid fixed jaw, means adjustably positioning said movable jaw relativetosaid fixed jaw, wedge block means carried by said movablesjawwinproximity to said fixed jaw for clampinglyengaging a pipe with saidfixed jaw, said movable jaw comprising a sleeve slidably supported uponsaid, shank, a head integral with said sleeve having a downwardly facingsurface converging inwardly toward the facingisurface of said fixedjaw,-saide wedge block means comprising awedge shaped jaw. blockslidably supported upon said' head for movement toward said shank alongsaid downwardly facing surface of said head and in asplane common tosaid fixed jaw and said head, said wedge block tapering inwardlytowardsaid shank at an, acute angle substantially equal to the acuteangle defined by said converging downwardly facing head surface and saidfacing surface of said fixed jaw.

2. A wrench comprising, in combination, a main'fixed jaw, a rectangular,shank extending upwardly from said main jaw, a movable jaw slidablysupported upon' said shank for slidable movement toward and away fromsaid fixed jaw, means adjustably positioning said movable jaw relativeto said fixed jaw, wedge block means carried by said movable jaw inproximity to said fixed jaw for clampingly engaging a pipe with saidfixed jaw, said movable jaw comprising a sleeve slidably supported uponsaidshank, aheadintegral with saidsleeve having a downwardly facingsurface converging inwardly toward the facing surface of said fixed jaw,said wedge block means comprising a wedge shaped jaw block slidablysupported upon said head for movement toward said shank along saiddownwardly facing surface of said head and in a lane common to saidfixed jaw and said head, said wedge block means tapering inwardly towardsaid shank at an acute angle, substantiallyeq ual to the acute angledefined by said converging downwardly facing head surface and saidfacing surface of said fixed jaw, and a handle having a centrallongitudinal bore rotatably receiving said shank, the lower end of saidhandle threadingly engaging the upper end of said sleeve, and meansrotatably securing the upper end of said handle to the upper end of saidshank, whereby the rotation of said handle elfects sliding movement ofsaid movable jaw relative to said fixed jaw.

References Cited in the file of this ,patent UNITED STATES PATENTS41,995 Hewet Mar. 22, 1864 1,114,549 Stomberg Oct. 20, 1914 1,145,597Kopacki July 6, 1915 1,411,135 Thompson Mar. 28, 1922 2,574,834 LeonardNov. 13, 1951 2,600,693 Rutherford June 17, 1952 2,708,385 Grinnell May17, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 512,505 France Oct. 15, 1920

